


I Can't Hear You

by Esther_Summerson



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, Beach Holidays, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I blame the plot-bunnies, Psychic Abilities, Psychic Reader, Reader-Insert, Vacation, Walks On The Beach, a little angsty, my tagging sucks, seriously now I think I have a problem, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-01 00:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6493798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esther_Summerson/pseuds/Esther_Summerson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The reader is a psychic, whose ability to read the minds of her enemies means that she is almost unbeatable. She is friends with the Avengers team whose side she has been fighting ever since finishing her training. But this little story is unconcerned with her fighting abilities as the team is aiming for a little r&r, nothing more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Can't Hear You

We had been stuck on the plane for 6 hours, and then crammed into SUV's for another 30 minutes in order to get to 'Tony's Super Secret Hideaway'. Lord knows that I love my messed up little family, but all the banter, the boisterous pranking and running underneath it all a mixed up current of guilt, anger, fear all suppressed for so long. If I were to let my shields down for even a second I would drown under the weight of it all. By the time that we pulled up at our destination I was in desperate need for a minute to myself.  
This vacation had been Pepper's idea, even though she wouldn't be coming along herself she was still worried about us. Concerned that we hadn't had a break following the traumatic events of the last year, her plan for us to take a trip away for a couple of weeks (unless we were needed to prevent an apocalypse or something similar) had been leapt upon by all parties. So here we were, two weeks later, at Tony's island paradise. We spilled out of the cars in front of what can only be described as the world's most spectacular villa. Right on the beach the house looked as though it had simply grown amongst the lush jungle which surrounded it.  
"Ok, everyone dump your bags here and the staff will get it sent to your rooms," Tony called out as he approached the housekeeper who was waiting diligently at the foot of the stairs. "And let me give you the grand tour."  
"Hey Nat," I called out, walking over to where my friend was waiting to follow Tony inside. "I just need a minute; I'm gonna head down to the beach and catch my breath."  
"You ok малютка?" She asked, her concern flashing briefly across her normally impassive face.  
"I'm good," I replied with a tired smile. "Just worn out from having my shields up for so long. I'll follow you guys along in a bit."  
"Sure, just call if you need us ok?" She asked, taking in my appreciative smile before heading off up to the house with everyone else.  
I bent down to remove my sandals and gathered up my skirt before walking down to where I could hear the waves crashing up on the shore. We had gotten in late so it was almost 2am, the island so remote that there was no light pollution to obscure the stars littered across the velvety expanse of the night sky. The full moon was bathing everything in it's silvery glow, and the cool sand under my feet was a welcome relief from the heat of earlier. Moving closer to the waters edge I sighed as the warm water rushed up and over my ankles, smiling as I sank slightly into the wet sand as the waves pulled back.  
Turning away from the infinite expanse of inky black water and sky to face the house, I could see lights coming on in the upper rooms and knew that I needed a little bit more time to myself before returning to my friends. Knowing that the position of the house would mean that I was unlikely to miss it on my way back I made my way further down the beach. Walking along the shoreline, with the warm water surging up and over my feet, the moonlight showing me the way I let down the psychic shields which I had been struggling to maintain for the last hour and a half.  
It was coming easier, shielding myself from the thoughts of those around me, but every now and again I became overwhelmed and needed a break. This was one of those times. I let myself drift away with the sounds of water on sand, the occasional animal call from the jungle next to me. I reached out with my mind to encompass my surroundings and revelled in the freedom from having to shield my mind from the thoughts of others.  
I don't know how long I had been standing there, eyes closed, breathing steadily, allowing the rhythms of the natural world cocoon me when I felt a presence approach from the house. I flinched at the speed with which my shields automatically snapped back into place, but sighed with relief as I realised who it was who was coming towards me and let them back down.  
"Hey Bruce, what brings you out here," I called out to my favourite scientist as he made his way across the beach towards me.  
"Just wanted to check up on you, you've been gone for quite a while now. Everything ok?" He asked as he came to stand next to me at the water's edge.  
"I'm good, just needed to let my shields down for a bit. I love the team, but being trapped in such close quarters with them for such a long time was exhausting. I was so desperate that I was just about to test out Clint's theory that a tinfoil hat would act as a psychic shield!" I joked, nudging him with my elbow.  
"Then I come along and disturb your peace, I'm sorry I'll leave you to it." He replied, moving as though he would leave. I quickly reached out and caught his hand before he had a chance to go.  
"No Bruce, it's fine you're not disturbing me. I don't know if it's all the meditation that you do, or if you are just so used to keeping your thoughts and feelings under control but I can't hear anything from your mind." I said, relaxing my grip, but not letting go of his hand as he moved back to stand next to me. The look on his was was one of curiosity, we had never had a frank discussion of my abilities and their limits.  
"Really?" He asked, the curiosity clear in his tone. "Not ever?"  
"Well sometimes, when you are really caught up in science mode, I can hear the mathematic formulas as they run through your mind. but most of those go so far over my head that it's like white noise." I replied, enjoying the feeling of his warm hand where it still held mine, and wondering if he realised that he had yet to let go.  
"So, I'm what? A blank slate?" He asked, I could tell that the scientist in him was intrigued by the notion and needed to know more.  
"More like a still pond, cool, calm, nothing to disturb the surface."  
"Huh," was all the reply I got. We continued to stand there, the waves rushing over our feet as he became lost in his thoughts and I enjoyed the company of someone whom I could relax myself around.  
"Bruce," I said disturbing the comfortable silence which had fallen between us. I tried again when I got no response. "Bruce?"  
"Sorry what?" he replied, coming back slowly from wherever his thoughts had taken him.  
"I'm getting cold, think I'm going to head back now, try and sleep." I smiled over at him as his brain tried to catch up with what I was saying.  
"What? Oh of course, I'll come with you." And letting go of my hand, he took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders as we moved back up the beach and started the walk back towards the house.  
I revelled in the feeling of the residual body heat still held in his jacket, lowering my nose to try and drag in the familiar scent of him.  
"Can I ask you something?" he said, breaking the silence that had fallen between us after he had fallen back into his thoughts.  
"Sure, what is it Bruce?" I replied, noticing the way that his shoulders had rounded in on themselves, his head lowered as though he was trying to make himself as small as possible. I stopped him with a gentle hand on his wrist. "Bruce, what is it?"  
"What do you hear from the Other Guy?" He asked, his voice quiet.  
"He's a simple being Bruce, he doesn't have the ability to cloak his thoughts as you do." I replied, choosing my words carefully. "So when he's out, it's a rush of basic emotions, anger, joy when he's smashing the enemy, loyalty towards those he sees as friends, and determination I guess. That and a weird protectiveness when it comes to me."  
"Really?" Bruce asked.  
"Yeah, and the occasions I've had to converse with him I've found that he says what he thinks. There's an honesty to him which is almost childlike despite his huge size and strength." I said, as we started walking again.  
"I've often wondered," he said almost to himself.  
"And now you know," I replied pulling his jacket more closely around myself as I barely stifled a yawn. "Why have you waited this long to ask Bruce? I've been fighting alongside the Hulk for years now."  
"I guess I wanted to wait until I knew you better? Or perhaps I had to wait until I was feeling brave enough to hear the answer." He said, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck in a gesture which I knew well enough by now meant that he was embarrassed.  
"And now that you know, how do you feel?" I asked softly, pausing to gauge his reaction.  
"I don't know, I've thought of him, the Othe... Hulk as being a monster for so long know that it's hard to think that there might be more to him." Bruce replied stopping next to me as he tried to absorb what I had said.  
"He's not a monster Bruce," I replied quietly. "I've seen inside the heads of monsters, I've seen the darkness, seen the evil within them and it is nothing like what I see when I look at Hulk."  
I was trapped for a moment, remembering some of the vile, horrific things which I had seen inside the minds of others and didn't notice as Bruce stepped towards me. All of a sudden his arms were coming around me and he was holding me closely against the warmth of his body.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."  
I took a deep breath, and tried to make sure that my voice was steady before replying.  
"It's ok Bruce, it's just that," and here I took another steadying breath before I could continue. "Some of the things I've seen, inside the heads of the most normal looking people, no one should ever have to experience that. Just give me a minute, it'll pass."  
I snuggled in closer to his arms and revelled in the strength that I felt emanating from him, and for a minute I was confused. I could swear that he was trying to tell me something, trying to project some idea into my mind.  
"Bruce?" I whispered, leaning back to look up into the warmth of his beautiful brown eyes.  
"I'm so sorry for all the pain that you have had to see, had to experience, had to carry even though the burden of it wasn't yours to bear." He said, stroking his hand along my jaw and up into my hair. "But you're still so optimistic, I don't know how you do it."  
"Probably because I get the flipside of it too," I whispered back, not wanting to disturb whatever spell had fallen over us. "I get to see the happiness, the hope, the wonder of life."  
"Love, do you see that too?" He asked, as his fingers fanned out through my hair.  
"Are you trying to tell me something Bruce?" I asked, him, feeling as though this conversation was leaving me behind.  
"Perhaps, Tony's right. Actions can speak louder than words." And before I completely understood his intentions he had lowered his head and captured my lips with the softest touches of his mouth. He lifted his head, and I immediately missed the warmth of his lips, I chased after his mouth and wrapping my arms around his neck I returned the kiss with all the feelings that I had held pent up within me for the last couple of months. We broke apart, trying to catch my breath and assimilate this change.  
"Who knew," I said as I looked deeply into Bruce's eyes. "That Tony Stark could lead to something so wonderful happening."  
"Careful," he replied chuckling. "If you say his name too many times he will automatically manifest."  
"I would hate for him to interrupt this, perhaps I'd better find some other way to occupy myself." And smiling up at him I coaxed his head downwards so that I could kiss and nibble at his mouth once again. We parted again and I was shocked to discover that I still couldn't hear his thoughts, normally physical contact only increased my ability to hear the things running through a person's mind. But all I was getting was impressions of his feelings, there was happiness, a touch of nerves and a lovely warmth of lust all bound up in a deep sense of caring, but no actual thoughts were coming through clearly.  
"What are you thinking?" He asked, after I'd been quiet for a bit too long.  
"I guess I'm still a bit shell-shocked? I had no idea that you felt this way about me, no idea that you could feel that way about me." I said, taking his hand and guiding him back towards the house.  
"See I thought I was being as obvious as a schoolboy with a crush," he replied giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "I've liked you for months now, I just assumed you could read me like a book and were trying to let me down gently."  
"Oh Bruce," I sighed coming to a stop and taking him into my arms. "If I had any idea you wanted this as much as I did."  
"Really?" He asked, his normally warm brown eyes showing the depth of his fear that he was not worthy of being wanted.  
"Really. I had no idea how you felt, and if I had known I would have acted on it a long time ago." I curled my hand up into the dark curls of his hair and raised myself up til I could reach his lips with my own, brushing against his mouth with the softest of touches I wanted him to know how much I cared. This was not a time for passion, that would come later, these kisses were a promise of something more, a new beginning perhaps. All I knew was that it felt too good, having him in my arms and I didn't really want this moonlit tryst to end.  
"Tomorrow, would you like to spend the day together? I could pack us a picnic, we could go off and explore a bit?" Bruce asked, wrapping his arms a little tighter around my waist as he looked down into my eyes.  
"I'd like that Bruce, it sounds perfect. Just so long as you don't want too much of an early start," I joked as the yawn which I'd been holding back escaped.  
"A lie-in is just what you need, doctors orders." He replied, laughing with me as he took my hand once again to head in to the house.  
"Not too much of one though, I don't want to go and sleep the day away. Not when I've got a date with a handsome scientist to look forward to." I said, leaning my head against his shoulder tiredly.  
"We've an entire vacation ahead of us, plenty of time." Bruce said as we entered in through the patio doors and made our way to the grand staircase which dominated the hallway. "Let me show you where you're sleeping sweetheart."  
I followed him up those stairs and along a corridor, one side of which was floor to ceiling windows looking out over the shoreline. I could just see our footprints disappearing off into the darkness where they were surely being swallowed up by the sea as the tide made it's way up the beach.  
"Here you are," Bruce said as we stopped outside the last door leading off the corridor. "Your bags and things are all inside, and I'm just at the far end of the hall if you need anything."  
I turned and wrapped my arms around his waist once more, resting my head against his chest and inhaling the scent that was so uniquely Bruce as his arms came around my shoulders, holding me close before he kissed my forehead.  
"I know I need to sleep, but I don't really want this night to end." I whispered, tightening my arms around him reflexively.  
"Sleep sweetheart," Bruce whispered back. He tilted my chin up so that he could capture my mouth in a lingeringly sweet kiss. "We can start again tomorrow."  
"Goodnight Bruce." I whispered again, worried that a louder volume might break the spell that was still woven around us.  
"Goodnight," and pressing a kiss to my knuckles he turned and walked away down the corridor.  
I walked into my room, and closing the door behind me I fell back against it and tried to absorb everything that had happened this evening. Another yawn had me smiling, and I moved towards the bed pulling my clothes off as I went. Lying down on the firm mattress I pulled the sheet up over my slightly chilled skin, and fell asleep only to dream of heated caresses and warm brown eyes.  



End file.
